Device for breaking in smoking pipes



Feb. 10, 1970 M, KEENAN 3,494,368

DEVICE FOR BREAKING IN SMOKING PIPES Filed April 19, 1968 FIG-4 4846 I2INVENTOR RICHARD M. KEENAN ATWQENE' United States Patent 3,494,368DEVICE FOR BREAKING IN SMOKING PIPES Richard M. Keenan, 2372 W. LawnDrive, Kettering, Ohio 45440 Filed Apr. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 722,762 Int.Cl. A24f 47/00, 13/00 US. Cl. 131-172 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A self-contained battery-operated pipe smoking device whichallows the owner to insert the pipe stem in the inlet and which provideseither constant or intermittent drawing action within said device forcausing the pipe tobacco to burn naturally for breaking in new pipes.The discharge end of the device has a clover-leaf shaped array ofopenings and a similarly shaped baflle that can be rotated to adjust theeffective size of the discharge opening to control the draw and burningrate of the tobacco in a pipe bowl being broken in. Switches areprovided so that the motor providing the draw can be operatedintermittently through a thermostatic flashing lamp, or continuously.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device forbreaking in smoking pipes.

Traditionally, good smoking pipes have been constructed from a hardwooden substance known as briar. Briar is a dome-shaped growth, or burl,which grows at the crown of the roots of a small tree. The briars areharvested, cut into blocks, dried, boiled to remove sap and tannicresins, aged, thoroughly cured, and then formed into the shape of apipe. The most treasured of such pipes are made of briars 50 to 100years old.

This elaborate process is designed to open the pores of the briar andgive it heat transfer characteristics that will ultimately produce apipe which, while burning, is always sweet to the taste and cool to thetouch. Since new pipes are designed to absorb tars and nicotine, it isimportant that they be broken-in properly, preferably with the smokersfavorite tobacco.

One starts to break in a pipe by filling the bowl approximately one-halffull with firmly packed tobacco. After several bowls have been smoked, acarbon deposit begins to build up at the bottom of the bowl. The tobaccolevel is then gradually increased so that the carbon deposit, or cake,will creep up uniformly around the inner surface of the bowl. Certainpleasurable advantages occur after the cake has reached a uniformthickness of approximately The tobacco will be easier to keep lighted,it will burn more evenly and smoothly, there will be less bite to thetaste, and the bowl will be cooler to the touch.

Breaking in a new pipe is often a painstaking and distasteful process.The tobacco in a half-filled pipe will not stay lighted without constantpufling and frequent kindling. The strong pufling required to keep thepipe lit will draw heat from the kindling flame, together with varioustobacco tars and nicotine from the tobacco, into the smokers mouth. Anexcessively hot and irritating smoke results.

Accordingly, it is one primary object of the present invention toprovide a device for breaking in tobacco pipes wherein the draft iscontrolled by a suction mechanism which is wholly self-contained andoperated by small batteries or the like.

As another object, the invention provides a novel electrical-mechanicalmeans for simulating the natural drawing or putfing action of a smokerand for externally indicating that the device is actually drawing smokeintermittently.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device whichwill slowly allow a smooth carbon coating, or cake, to build up evenlythroughout the bowl of a pipe.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for grippingand sealing a pipe stem of any shape within the device, which willrequire no further support for the pipe than its natural restingposition.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, the accompanying drawings and the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of adevice constructed in accordance with the present invention illustratingthe flashing light and switch mechanisms together with a smoking pipe;

FIG. 2 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the device showingthe internal construction thereof;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the device as seen from the left of FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section as taken on line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial front elevation of the device as seen from the rightof FIG. 2, showing the slit without a pipe inserted therein; and,

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the circuit.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the figures of thedrawings, a wholly selfcontained smoking device for breaking in a pipeis illustrated in FIG. 1 as including a housing 10 which may be ofgenerally rectangular construction, and is preferably formed of apremolded plastic material. The housing 10 may be conveniently formedwith a removable cover or top 12, a front wall or surface 14 defining aninlet opening 15, and a spaced rear wall or surface 17 defining exit oroutlet openings 18. The housing is substantially hollow in constructionand defines therethrough an axial flow passage 20 (FIG. 2) leading fromthe front inlet opening 15 to the rear outlet openings 18.

The device 10 includes means for gripping and sealing the stem 22 of apipe 23, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. For this purpose, the housing isprovided with an inner clamping member or plate 24 which is mounted inspaced relation to the front wall 14 on inwardly extending bosses formedin the housing and retained by screws 25. The clamping member 24 isformed with an axially positioned opening 26 which is in substantialalignment with the front opening 15.

A flexible foam rubber insert 30 is tightly received between the frontwall 14 and the clamping member 24 in slightly compressed relation. Thefoam rubber insert 30 is preferably formed with a self-closing slit 32,as shown in FIG. 5, through which the stem 22 of the pipe may beinserted by deforming the material of the insert 30. The insert 30accordingly provides a self-gripping and selfsealing support for thestem 22 with the result that no additional pipe support is normallyrequired to retain the pipe bowl 34 in an upright smoking position, asillustrated in FIG. 1.

The pipe smoking device further includes impeller means such as the fan40 positoned within the internal passage 20, and preferably surroundedby annular shroud means 42, to cause the flow of air through the passageway 20 from the region defined by the front inlet to the rear outlet. Inthis manner, air is caused to be drawn through the opening in the stem22 of the pipe for exit through the outlet openings 18. The fan 40 isshown in FIG. 2 as being positioned somewhat rearwardly of the clampingmember 24 to define a substantially unobstructed space 44 within thehousing into which pipe stem 22 of varying lengths and varyingconfigurations may project without obstruction and without fear ordamage by engaging the blades of the fan 40.

Means for driving the fan preferably includes a small permanent magnetDC motor 45 positioned within a motor support bracket 46 centrallywithin the housing 10. The bracket 46 may thus extend from a regionadjacent the bottom of the housing where it is retained in abutment withthe shroud 42 by heat welds, screws or other suitable fasteners 48, asshown in FIG. 4, to a region adjacent the top of the housing where it isretained in abutment with the shroud 42 by additional fasteners 48. Inthis manner, the fan 40, which is preferably directly mounted to themotor shaft, is centrally positioned within the shroud 42. The motor 45is preferably of the DC permanent magnet type which is designed tooperate with an input voltage of from 1 /2 to 6 volts, as is commonlyavailable on the market.

The housing 10 is preferably further formed with a battery space 50located rearwardly of the motor 45 and accessible by removal of thecover 12. Thus, one or more dry cells or batteries 52 are received onsuitable battery clips 53 mounted within the housing and adjacent themotor 45.

The automatic and self-contained smoking device further includes meansfor regulating the draft on the pipe 23 by regulating the rate of airflow through the passage 20.

For this purpose, openings 18 in the rear Wall 17 may be four in numberand generally segmented and cloverleaf in shape, as perhaps bestillustrated in FIG. 3. Selectively positionable damper or baffie meanscomprises a sheet material baffle 55 mounted on the inside surface ofthe wall 17 on a shaft 56 extending through the rear wall andterminating in a knob 57. The baflle 55 is similarly formed with acorresponding plurality of segment shaped members 58 which have adimension slightly greater than that of the openings 18 and which arerotatable by rotation of the knob 57 and shaft 56 selectively to coverand uncover the openings 18. In this manner, the user may compensate forthe draw characteristics of each pipe, which will uniquely depend uponits particular construction and the tobacco used therein, in order toobtain a desirable rate of burning which will not overheat the bowl 34.Also, the baffle 55 may be adjusted to compensate somewhat for runningdown of the dry cells 52, thus increasing the useful life of the cells.

The invention includes means for selecting two modes of operation.First, an electrical switch member 60 may be received within one sidewall of the housing 10 to connect the batteries 52 directly to the motor45, as shown in the diagram in FIG. 6. The motor will operate constantlyat full speed in this mode.

Additionally, the invention includes means for operating the motor 45 inan intermittent and cyclic manner to cause it alternately to speed upand then slow down to simulate a pufling action on the pipe 23. For thispurpose, the circuit is provided with feather means preferablyconsisting of a flashing type light bulb or lamp 62 which is of the typeincorporating a bimetallic strip 63 which is heated by the energizationof the lamp to expand and break the circuit through the lamp. Uponcooling, the bimetallic strip 63 returns to its original position againreestablishing a circuit through the lamp. Such bulbs have found commonuse in warning lights and in flashing lamps or similar devices.

In the present invention, the lamp 62 is connected in a circuiteffectively in series with the motor 45 and is controlled by anadditional on-oif switch 64. The switch 64 may be mounted in the side ofthe housing 10 in corresponding relation to the switch 60. Similarly,the lamp 62 may be mounted preferably therebetween so that it is visibleto a person using the pipe smoking device. When the switch 64 is closed,the motor 45 will thus be energized through the flashing lamp 62 andwill be caused to operate in a cyclic on-ofi fashion. The result is thatthe fan is caused to speed up by the energization of the motor and thento slow down by coasting when the motor 45 is deenergized, providing anatural-like pufling action on the pipe stem 22, and assisting inkeeping the tobacco lighted. The on-off cycle of flashing is preferablychosen at one cycle per second so that the fan 40 does not actually stopin operation. At the same time, the flashing lamp 62 will be visible andwill give notice that the device is in operation. Also, the flashinglamp 62 will serve to attract attention to the device both as an item ofmerchandise and as a source of home entertainment.

The operation of the invention is substantially selfevident from theforegoing description. When the user wishes to break in a new pipe, headds the amount of tobacco desired and inserts the stem 22 by pushingthrough the slit 32 formed in the sponge insert 30. The stem 22 willthus be gripped in air-tight relation around its outer surface while, atthe same time, the bowl 24 will be supported in the upright position asshown in FIG. 1. While a match is held to the pipe, the motor 45 may beturned on to full speed by the operation of the switch 60 to obtain goodlighting, and the baffle adjusted as desired.

Thereafter, the switch may be opened and the switch 64 closed to causecyclic motor action, and the knob 57 adjusted to provide the desiredbaflling and drawing action. The smoking process may thus continuewithout particular attention until the tobacco is consumed. Thereafter,the user may prefer to allow the pipe to cool and perhaps repeat theburning operation until a cake is built into the bowl, preferably fromthe bottom up.

The smoking device thus obviates the somewhat distasteful and timeconsuming operation of properly breaking in a pipe. It permits the pipeto be broken in using the owners preferred tobacco in a proper manner,so that the pipe will give pleasure to the owner the first time that heactually smokes it.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferredembodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes maybe made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A wholly self-contained device for breaking in a smokers pipecomprising a housing with an axial flow passage therethrough having afront inlet and a rear outlet, gripping and sealing means at the frontinlet of said housing for receiving a pipe stem therethrough and formingan air tight seal thereabout, shroud means located intermediate of saidfront inlet and said rear outlet of said housing and defining with saidfront inlet of said housing a substantially unobstructed open space intowhich pipe stems of varying shapes may project, impeller means withinsaid shroud means operable upon rotation to cause a draft through saidaxial flow passage of said housing, electric motor means connected indriving relation to said impeller means, batteries in said housingconnected to energize said motor, and flow control means associated withthe rear outlet of said housing for regulating the flow of draft exitingtherethrough.

2. The device of claim 1 further including flasher means in the circuitto said motor for intermittently disengaging said circuit to cause saidmotor to start and stop at a controlled rate to simulate a puflingaction on such pipe.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said flasher means comprises athermally operable incandescent flash lamp visible exteriorly of saidhousing and connected in series with said motor.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein said flasher meanscomprises a flasher bulb containing a bimetallic element which uponcooling engages a circuit to said motor and upon heating disengages saidcircuit at alternate intervals to cause the said impeller meansalternately to speed up and slow down and simultaneously to cause theflasher bulb alternately to flash on and oil.

5. The apparatus as described in claim 4 further comprising switchingmeans having a portion thereof exteriorly of the housing and connectingsaid batteries and motor and said lamp and enabling the operator of thedevice to select the motor speeds of: constant on, intermittent, andoff.

6. The apparatus as described in laim 1 wherein the gripping and sealingmeans at the front inlet of said housing comprises an outer front memberformed with an opening therein to receive said pipe stem therethrough,an inner clamping member spaced from said front member and having anaxial bore therein in alignment with said front opening, and a flexiblefoam rubber insert tightly received between said members and havingmeans defining a slit therethrough in alignment with said opening andsaid bore for gripping the outer surface of such stem and forming a sealtherewith.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the flow control meanscomprises mean at said housing rear outlet defining an external openingin the general shape of a four-leaf clover, an internal baffie in thecorresponding shape of a four-leaf clover adjacent to the rear surfaceopening, and means rotatably mounted on said baflle and accessible foradjusting the position of said bafile in relation to said rear openingfor varying the rate of draw through such pipe by said impeller means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,740,334- 12/1929 Churchill13l172 2,260,206 10/1941 Bellinghieri 131172 2,639,716 5/1953Bellinghieri l3l172 FOREIGN PATENTS 939 1907 Great Britain. 182,066 6/1922 Great Britain.

JOSEPH S REICH, Primary Examiner

